The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) by Jared Mason Jr., Justin Mason

slaps me!” Lawrence exclaimed. He was clearly embellishing the story to make it sound funny. He could see that Elsie was a little bit sour about it and eventually he chuckled. “Oh come now, Elsie, you know as well as I do that I didn’t deserve to be slapped. I was just telling you who I thought was the-” He didn’t have a chance to finish as Elsie changed the subject.
    “Razzius, dear,” she said coyly, looking toward the young man standing at the back of the table, “I have heard from my father that you are the most promising Knight in this year’s batch of new recruits. Tell me, is that true?” she asked, glaring at Lawrence, letting him know he had crossed the line. She had purposely called Razzius ‘dear’ in an attempt to make Lawrence jealous. Though she hated to admit it, it was nice to be out of the castle. The ambiance of sitting and conversing with new friends, and the laughter and jubilation of the crowded pub, stood in stark contrast to the drab, boring evenings she usually endured in the castle.
    Razzius sighed. “Well, Captain Maxwell keeps telling me that I have a knack for sword play, and I have been able to win my one-on-one sparring matches against other squires, but I still struggle against more than one opponent. When I fight I always concentrate so completely on one target that I lack the ability to block attacks from another opponent. Just the everyday challenges of the Knight Guard training I guess.” A small smile crossed his face.
    Benni held up his glass and said, “Well, friends, here’s to another week in the Knight Guard. If we persevere and train hard then hopefully we will all one day be able to call ourselves Knights of Haile.”
    Everyone, except Razzius, took a swig of their brew. Razzius stared at the thick, foamy head inside the glass and was repulsed by the beverage. The smell of it reminded him of unpleasant memories. It made him sick to his stomach and queasy.
    Benni alertly noticed Razzius’ lack of participation. “Razzius, you don’t want your ale?” he questioned.
    “No, I’m just not feeling the best is all,” Razzius said quickly, hoping his friends would buy his excuse. He pushed the full mug of ale toward Benni. “No reason to waste it though. You have it, Benni.”
    Benni quickly obliged Razzius’ request as he told his friend that he hoped he felt better soon in between glugs of ale.
    Lawrence then went on to finish what Benni had started. “And let’s not forget the reason we are really here tonight.” He smiled and looked over at Benni. “It’s your birthday today, Benni. We are all happy to be here to celebrate this day with you.” Lawrence downed his ale and slammed the mug down on the table. The rest of the group, except Razzius of course, followed suit in saluting Benni.
    Lawrence stood up and proceeded to gather the empty mugs. “I’ll go get us another round, are you sure you don’t want anything, Razzius?”
    “A glass of milk would be great,” Razzius answered.
    “A glass of milk it is. I’ll be right back.”
    Lawrence started his way toward the bar. He stopped at a long table and motioned with his hand. A bartender dressed in brown robes hurriedly approached him. His long, silver hair was tied behind his head in a braid. The man appeared to be in a ridiculous rush as plates and dishes were pilling up on the bar faster than he could clear them away.
    He glanced at Lawrence. “What’ll it be, friend?”
    “I need three Silver Stouts and a glass of milk, sir.”
    “Coming right up, young man. Say, I haven’t seen you around here before. What’s your name?”
    “Lawrence, sir. Nice to meet you. I bet you know my friend, Benni Wakewood. It’s his seventeenth birthday today.”
    “Ah yes, Benni. One of my best customers. And his birthday, no less. Well, this round is on the house, special compliments of Galvan Gabrielle. I’ll try to stop over by the table and wish him a happy birthday later on once I get caught up. Nice